6/04/2012

BAM Hightech Bari Sax Case (Standard) Review

BAM Hightech Bari Sax Case (Standard)
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I own a BAM baritone saxophone case for 3 or 4 years. I also own a Walt Johnson bari case and a Selmer case -- a wooden coffin that came with my Selmer SA80 II sax. This is a low-A modern saxophone.
The Selmer case is made of wood, strong and spacious but bulky and heavy. I think Selmer no longer supplies these cases, but the big advantage is the room inside for storing accessories. The lack of room is a disadvantage for both the Johnson & the BAM case, but the heavy weight and bulk of the Selmer case makes it undesirable for me.
The Walt Johnson case is molded plastic, form fitted, and light weight. There is little space for storing accessories, even reeds and mouthpieces, inside the case. There is a strap that can be fitted around the lower bow of the sax to prevent sliding inside. I liked the case but it has a reputation of not fully protecting the sax from damage from severe blows. I can't say whether or not this is true from my experience. I used this case for several years without any damage whatsoever to my sax. Currently the cost of the Johnson case is $540.
The BAM case is lightweight but slightly heavier than the Johnson case. It can accomodate a low Bb sax but with even less storage space. Like the Johnson case, it is molded plastic but with more handles than the Johnson case, an advantage. I prefer it because it has wheels. Both the Johnson & the BAM cases have straps for carrying on the back, but I find the weight of the sax, the case, and the attached sax stand (I attach my stand with bungee cords) too heavy to carry on my back.
Potential disadvantages of the BAM case: little internal storage space, wheels might prove fragile (not by me so far but were damaged by a friend), and heat will melt the plastic exterior. But overall, I judge the BAM case to be the best that I can find so far. Current price is $800, a large amount.
I recommend the the BAM case, albeit pricey.

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BAM Hightech Bari Sax Case (Standard): The outer shell is shock resistant and made of rigid metallic ABS plastic while the interior made of a single block of dense foam. This is one of the few bari cases that we actually can recommend as a flight case. You can feel comfortable knowing your bari is well protected should you choose to check it when flying or shipping it. The rollerblade type wheels also make transport a breeze.

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6/03/2012

Flat Flesch All-Size Viola Chinrest - Rosewood with Standard Bracket Review

Flat Flesch All-Size Viola Chinrest - Rosewood with Standard Bracket
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Arrived in only a few days, the chin rest is very well made. The bracket is solid and operates smoothly. The cork pads are full and well placed. The wood is smooth and has a beautiful grain. My daughter loves it even though the color is very dark and does not match the other rosewood pieces on her viola.
This style of chin rest was recommended by her orchestra teacher and did improve her hold on the instrument.

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This beautifully crafted Flat Flesch-style chinrest fits fits All-Size Violas, is made from select Indian Rosewood, and features a Standard Bracket.

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RUGERI RA200 SOLID WOOD 15.5 INCH VIOLA WITH CASE + 2 BOWS + 2 SETS OF STRINGS + ROSIN Review

RUGERI RA200 SOLID WOOD 15.5 INCH VIOLA WITH CASE + 2 BOWS + 2 SETS OF STRINGS + ROSIN
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I purchased a Rugeri 16.5-inch with boxwood fittings, from this seller, otherwise as described here. I expected to have to do the usual upgrades (adjust bridge, install better strings), so I wasn't expecting perfection. What I received was: only one bow, not two; a G string installed as a D (of course, it soon broke); tuning pegs that did not fit the peg box properly; a nut with the string grooves placed very poorly; a bridge that was cut too low (buzzing on the A string); and fine tuners made of weak metal that tended to snap the rings off the end of strings. I lost three good strings before I discovered this last problem. The viola itself had a pronounced resonance on the A notes (a type of "wolf" that is hard to subdue). Too bad, because the viola I received is made with good woods, has a nice color and a light varnish finish, and the boxwood fittings are well made. I have since purchased, for about the same money, a vastly superior viola, with excellent case, bow, and set-up, from Hoffmann Strings Ltd.

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Rugeri ra200 solid wood 15.5 inch viola with case + 2 bows + 2 sets of strings + rosin

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6/02/2012

Cremona SB-2 Premier Student Upright String Bass, 3/4 size Review

Cremona SB-2 Premier Student Upright String Bass, 3/4 size
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Hi readers,
I was in the market for a starter string bass for 2-3 months in the spring of 2006, but wasn't serious enough to try to locate a shop that had any that I could try out.
I really lucked out by finding this Chinese crafted string bass on Craigslist; at a small music store in Vancouver, Washington, a short drive from my home in Portland, Oregon.
As I recall, it was a very hot day (6/24/06) when I went to locate the as advertised: New 3/4 Cremona SB-2 with padded gigbag with 1 yr warranty, for six benjamins.
This was an interesting, but strange shopping experience - let me explain. I spent half an hour ear-tuning the bass against the bass guitars hanging up on display - taking a while since I was not familiar with the tension and gear ratio of string bass tuning machines. Once I got this SB-2 roughly in tune, I realized I didn't know how to play it. Even though I played fretted and fretless Fender P and J- basses, the 3/4 double bass is very different, with the much longer scale length, the much fatter neck, and the much higher action.
So I zipped it up, purchased it, and brought it home in the back of my '95 Mercury Sable wagon.
Since that time, I've taught myself (by ear) some mainly open string fingerings of bass guitar riffs to some of my favorite songs that I play and sing to - from the following genres: folkrock, blues, bluegrass, and country. Even though I consider myself to have a good ear, it was a challenge to learn how to play my string bass in tune. You really have to stretch to finger a full step between notes on the 42-inch scale length of the string bass (no frets, no lines, no side dots). After I learned to play my SB-2 in tune (this worked for me: I would play my string bass at night with the lights turned off). I'll even venture to say that, because of improved ear training from playing my string bass, I found it easier to play my '78 Fender P-Bass fretless without looking at the side dots.
When I'm in the mood for the challenge, playing my string bass is a rewarding experience, mainly from the rich full-bodied bass acoustic vibrations you hear and feel, an experience not closely duplicated by my electric basses.
For playing in electric settings, I installed a Fishman BP-100 Acoustic Bass Pickup, and plug into my Gallien Krueger MB150S combo amp. I've played my SB-2 at open mics at bars, at my Catholic Church folk mass (I'm the bass player there, playing my Fender electric basses most of the time), at a neighborhood block party with another acoustic guitarist, and most recently, "unplugged" in my back yard this past Fourth of July, with my son's friends on acoustic guitar, ukelele, and bucket drums.
With a 3/4 string bass, zipping it up in the "sleeping bag" (gigbag), hauling it out of the house without knocking the somewhat fragile bridge against narrow door jambs, getting it safely into my car or pickup truck (noting the bridge must be on top), getting it into the venue, tuning it up, setting it down where no one's going to trip on it, amplifying it without feedback, and finally playing it, hopefully in tune - these are all done with planning and intention. Overall this makes me much more appreciative that Leo Fender invented in the year I was born (1951) - the solid body electric "Precision" bass.
Yes, the Cremona is heavy, but it is sturdy. I'm careful when I transport it, and it's proven to be trouble free. It stays in tune. The strings that came on it are still on it. To my ears and fingers, they are really nice sounding strings, and oh so smooth. The matt finish is easy to take care of - fingerprints don't show. Even dust doesn't show unless you start looking more closely. I bought it new, for a great price!
Lastly, it's a really empowering feeling when I walk into an acoustic guitar store that sometimes has a really fine old string bass on display in a stand, and sidle up to it, release the neck from its grip, close my eyes, and gently play something on it - in tune, filling the store's space with resonating bass notes!
Thanks for reading!


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Road warriors, Schools, Acoustic/Bluegrass/String/Jazz bands all need affordable, powerful bases that can take a beating and still produce day after day. The SB-2 3/4 is that Bass!

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Profile AMS-PMT-3000 Clip-On Digital Metronome, Tuner, and Tone Generator with Tri-Color Display, Silver Review

Profile AMS-PMT-3000 Clip-On Digital Metronome, Tuner, and Tone Generator with Tri-Color Display, Silver
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This review is actually for the Profile PMT-3500. After reading a TON of reviews of different clip-on tuners, I finally took a stab at this one. The price, easy of use, and the built-in metronome snagged my attention. It tunes according to vibration only which works perfect for acoustic guitar especially in louder environments. It picks up the low strings fine for tuning. I would recommend this for any semi-serious, to serious guitar player...it's a little big (compared to other clip-on tuners), but does the job well.

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Profile AMS-PMT-3000 Clip-On Digital Metronome, Tuner, and Tone Generator with Tri-Color Display, Silver

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6/01/2012

3 in 1 Digital Chromatic Tuner + Metronome + Tone Generator Review

3 in 1 Digital Chromatic Tuner + Metronome + Tone Generator
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This does a good job as a tuner and as a metronome. Unfortunately, has the key of C, F Bb, and Eb. I need to tune in the key of A. It will tune in C, but recongnizes the notes incorrectly. I have not used the Tone function.

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New! This 3 in 1 tuner, metronome and tone generator has it all. Keep your instruments in tune. LED lights let you know if the pitch is flat or sharp. Runs off of two AAA batteries (included). Measurement range 27.5 Hz to 1760 Hz. The wide range is to reach all the high and low notes.
Stay in tempo with the built in metronome. The metronome can generate quarter note, eighth note, triplets, and sixteenth note clicks at tempos anywhere from 30-250 beats per minute. The beats are both audible and represented on the digital display.
If you feel more comfortable tuning by ear, you can use the tone generator function. You can generate one whole octave of notes through the built in speaker or the headphone jack.
Mode: Auto & manual tuning modeTuning range: A0 (27.50Hz) - a3 (1760Hz)A4 Frequency?430Hz-450HzFlat?B?Bb?Bbb?BbbbPlug in pick up includedIndicator: LCD &3 LEDs Input/Output: Jack Condenser Microphone Batteries included (1.5V AAA x 2)Weight 86.5 g (including batteries)Tempo: 30-250/minuteBeat Type: 0-9

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JonPaul Bravo Cello Bow 4/4 Size Review

JonPaul Bravo Cello Bow 4/4 Size
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I tried a number of carbon fiber bows at about the same price range, and the JonPaul had the best balance. It also might have been a bit lighter in weight. The shape of the "stick" and the frog felt more comfortable in my hand than the others. Needless to say, you would not find a wooden bow anywhere near the quality for ca. $300.

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Easy to control and incredibly responsive, Bravo is formulated for the serious player on a budget. The JonPaul Bravo is durable with beautiful styling and superb playability. Nothing on the market plays this well at this price.Steinway black finish, one piece exclusive-grade round stick, Peccate/Maline style head, silver tip, premium sterling-silver ebony frog, parisian goldfish eye, sterling-silver winding, lizard grip, finest quality hair. JonPaul Bows are the finest carbon composite bows in the world. JonPaul bows are responsive and pull a beautiful tone. They inspire confidence and improve a player's skill. See, feel, and hear the difference. JonPaul bows are crafted from start to finish in the U.S.A. Customers enjoy the best guarantee and service and the highest quality bows. The combination of advanced materials and classic design produces the rich tone of fine wood bows. The carbon fibers are "laid out" by hand to mimic the feel and sound of fine pernambuco more successfully than any other carbon fiber bow on the market. The heads don't pop off. All JonPaul bows share a one-piece molding process, with the silver or gold tip molded into the bow. Single-piece construction means the stick is strong from tip to button. You can feel secure playing your JonPaul bow indoors, outdoors, or in a cramped orchestra pit. The color is infused to the very core of the stick, so the diamond finish is durable and beautiful. JonPaul bows rehair like any traditional wood bow. A fine bow deserves beautiful components. Designed by wood bow makers, JonPaul bows are crafted with a traditional French Peccatte/Maline style head. They are fitted with the best materials and are finished in the tradition of classic bows.

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